Truck-coupling.



TRUCK coPLlNG. APPLICATION FILED NOVIS, 1914.

me-nm1` May 18, 191,5.

. I I *2Q l IMI I l wat @maw Ff? y rr erases afi new.

EDWARD FITZGERALD, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS..

TRUCK-COUPLING.

v specifieation of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1915.

Animation-med november 5, 1911i. man no. 870,336.

To all 107mmit may concern."

Be it known that I, EDWARD -Frrzeiiuima,l a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Truck-Couplings, of which the following is a specification. l'

My invention relates to truck couplings,

and has for its object the provision ofia coupling adapted to automatically couple trucks combination and arrangement of parts here` specification, and in which:

i 'Figure 1 is a plan view of the adjacent end portions of two trucks equipped with myA coupling; Fig. 2 4is an elevation of the same, showing a portion of oneof the trucks in section; and, Fig. 3 is an elevation of a portion of one of the trucks showing the levers and shaft together with their mounty ing of my device.

yReferring' more particularly to the ydrawing, one of the trucks 4 is provided with a draw-bar head -5, secured thereto in any ordinary or preferred manner. The drawbar head isl preferably secured to the truck end ,4, so that there is no lateral movement of the draw-bar head on the truck, but when so desired limited lateral movement of the draw-bar head may be provided without de- Parting from my invention. The draw-bar head 5 is provided with a Vslot 6 extending from its outer end toward the truck end 4, and is of considerable depth. The` topportion 7 of the draw-bar head is slotted as at 8, and a catch 9, pivoted, as at 10, in the slot 8. The lower portion 11 of the draw-bar head 5 is provided with a recess 12, the latter ending at a shoulder 13. The lower end of catch 9 is adapted to engage shoulder 13, and close the outer end of the slot 6. The upper end of catch 9 is connected by meansof a connecting rod 14 to an arm 15, which is rigidly secured to va shaft 16. The shaft 16 is mounted in bearings 1,7 for both longitudinal and oscillatory movements. At the ends of shaft 16 are provided manually operative levers 18 which form stops to limit the longitudinal. movement of shaft 16, also said levers furnish means by which the shaft is oscillated. At each end of shaft 16 is a stop 19. The latter are positioned at suchipoints on truck end 4 so that the shaft 16` is free to oscillate when in the full line position indicated in Fig. 3,

and when the shaft 16 is moved longitudinally to its dotted line position indicated in this igure,one lever 18 is adapted to rest on its adjacent stop 19 to" prevent oscillation of shaft 16, and consequently moving the catch 9 to its operative position. The inoperative position of catch 9 is indicated by dotted lines in-Fig. 2. The other lever 18 engages against its adjacent bearing 17 to limit the longitudinal movement of the shaft 16, as clearly indicated in Fig..3.

, The other truck end 20 is provided with a bail member 21, which is adapted to be inserted in the slot 6 in order to form the connection between the .truck ends. The bail 21 is preferably a rod bent with its end portions diverging and secured to the truck end 20 at a considerable distance apart. Upon bringing truck end 4 to the position indicated in full .lines in Fig. 1 and truck end 20 to the position indicated by dotted lines in this figure, the bail 21 willbe inserted in slot6, and catch 9 will engage the bail 21, and lock the trucks in coupled position. The weight of levers 18 and arm 15 normally holds the catcl1`9 in its full line position of Fig. 2, and upon the bail 21 engaging the lower end of catch 9, vthe latter will be swung on its pivotal point suiiiciently to permit the bail 21 to pass the catch 9, and after passing, the weight of said levers 18 and arm 15 will again bring -the catch 9 to its full line position of Fig. 2, thereby locking the bail in the slot. When it is desired to set the catch 9 in inoperative position, one of the levers 18 is operated manually to cause it to rest on a stop 19 to lock said members in the positions indicated by suiciently to permit the lever 18 to slide from stop 19 and fall by gravity to bring catch 9 to its operative position. Thus, it will be seen that the trucks are adapted to be automatically coupled upon the insertion of bail 21 into slot 6, whether catch 9 is in full line or dotted line position in Fig. 2.

At the central portion of bail 21 is a l(urved portion forming a recess 22 in the ail. pose of permitting relative movements of bail 21 and draw-bar head 5 to bring the truck ends 4 and 20 in alining positions as soon as said trucks have begun-to travel. It will therefore be seen that when the bail 21 is engaged by the drawbar head 5 at any position intermediate the ends of thevbail upon starting the trucks the latter will automatically come to alining positions by the catch 9 sliding on the inner side of bail 21 until it reaches the recess 22.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction, I do not.

desire to limit myself to the particular details illustrated Aand described, but desire to avail myself of such variations and changes as come within thc scope of the appended claims. v

I claim:

1. A truck coupling comprising a drawbar head having a horizontal slot extending inwardly from its outerend; a bail adapted to be received by said slot at any point of the bail intermediate the ends thereof, and a catch mounted in saidhead and adapted to lock said bail in said slot.

2. A truck coupling comprising a drawbar head having a horizontal slot extending inwardly from its outer end; a bail Wider than the width of the draw-bar head and disposed in said slot; and a catch mounted in said headand locking said bail in said slot. A truck coupling comprising a drawbar head having a horizontal slot extending inwardly from its outer end; a bail comprising an elongated 4member diverging from a substantially central point to its ends and extending through said slot, the latter being adapted to engage said bail at any point intermediate the ends thereof; and a catch mounted in said head and locking said bail in said slot.

4. A truck coupling comprising a drawbar head having a horizontal slot extending inwardlyfrom its outer end; a bail comprising an elongated member disposed in a curve with a recess at its central portion and This recess is provided for the pur said central portion extending through said. slot, said slot being adapted to be engaged by the bail at any *point intermediate the ends thereof; and a catch mounted in said head and locking said bail in said slot.

5. A truck coupling comprising a drawbar head'having a horizontal slot extending than the draw-bar head and disposed in said slot;fand a catch mountedin said headand locking the bail in said slot, said slot being .adapted to be engaged by the bail at any point intermediate the ends thereof, and the bail being adapted to slide on the catch to' .its central portion upon force being applied 65 inwardly from its outer end; a bail wider and said shaft; stops adjacent said shaft; l

and manually operable levers on said shaft yand coperating with said stops for preventing longitudinal movement of the shaft eX- cept at one point in the oscillatory movement of the shaft. t,

7. A truck coupling comprising a draw-1 A' bar head having a slotted mouth; a bail disposed in said mouth; a catch mounted in said head, locking saidbail in said mouth and adapted to swing to unlock said bail; bearings; a shaft mounted in said bearings for longitudinal movement and an oscillatory movement on its axis; stops at the ends of said shaft; levers on the ends of. saidl shaft and engaging said stops, preventing longitudinal movement of the shaft except at one point of the oscillatory movement of the latter', when in the last mentioned position said shaft being adapted to be moved longitudinally, permitting one of the levers to rest' on one of the stops and prevent oscillatory movement of the shaft; and an operative connection between said catch and said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed m'y name'to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 3rd day of November, A. D. 1914.

EDWARD FITZGERALD.'

IVitnesses KENT W. WONNELL, THOMAS CoLsoN. 

